Shane Beeshligaii is a silversmith, who learned the artform from his father, beginning when he was around seven years old. His designs range from traditional Navajo jewelry to a form of micro-inlay taught to him by his father. His family have been silversmiths since the Spanish first arrived in the Southwest. (His great-great-grandfather was named Atsidi iilneeh Beeshligaii, which means the maker of silver.) Growing up, most of Beeshligaii’s interactions with people from his tribe occurred during visits to Sherman Indian High School in Riverside, CA, where his mother still teaches pottery and traditional beadwork. When Beeshligaii was 17, he moved to Tucson and lived with his father, whose voice he still hears in his mind, critiquing his work—whether or not it’s polished enough, whether all the scratches are out, whether all the stones are set correctly. A primary focus has been learning the micro-inlay technique to create the checkerboard pattern that was a signature of his father’s own work. Beeshligaii makes jewelry as the main way to keep in contact with, understand, and embrace his cultural heritage.